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Omaha Hi/Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.